We face a number of challenges in the world. None is more problematic than North Korea. It is developing the capability to launch nuclear missiles on the United States. It also has one of the world’s largest armies. A whole bunch of artillery pieces are heavily fortified and aimed at Seoul. To make matters even worse, it is ruled by a man who quite possibly may be insane.

Past presidents have tried negotiation. Their promises weren’t worth the paper they were written on. President Trump has responded with a number of belligerent threats. One of the ways Kim Jong-um stays in power is by talking about the US as an aggressor. Every time Trump spouts off, he gives Kim more ammunition.

So what are we to do? First of all, Trump needs to stop the threats. If war broke out, Seoul, a city of over ten million people, would be in ruins. It’s impossible to negotiate with someone who has members of his family killed. However, talking never hurts. We need to maintain a strong military presence but not one that threatens Kim. We must make sure there is no way a missile could ever reach the United States. Finally, we need to keep the pressure on China but realize there is only so much they can do.

Dealing with North Korea requires a nuanced approach. That is not the way Trump operates so we have to hope he will listen to his advisors.​